No additions to DTC fleet till 2014: Transport dept

“Only Tata participated in the last global tender for procuring 625 low-floor buses. But the rates quoted by them were found to be unreasonable. We will now go for a global tender for the fifth time,but procuring required 1,725 buses to replace DTC’s old fleet will only be possible by February 2014,” an official said.

Transport officials said the price quoted by Tata Motors for the buses was 50 per cent higher than the earlier rates,while the quoted maintenance cost was also significantly higher. “We are hoping that manufacturers from other countries also participate in the global tendering process as the government is looking at acquiring standard buses as opposed to low-floor buses,” a Transport official said.

The Delhi government has failed to augment the public transport system in the city,despite its continued stress on this sector,leading to increased dependence on private vehicles in the capital.

The government was supposed to roll out 1,000 buses under the cluster scheme by the end of 2012,a target they are yet to achieve seven months past the deadline. According to a policy decision,11,000 buses are supposed to be plying in the city with 5,500 buses under DTC and and the rest under the cluster scheme.

“The new buses under the cluster scheme can only be brought in once we have space. We have already found space and 450 buses are expected to be added under different clusters by November,” Transport Minister Ramakant Goswami said.

The cluster scheme is being operated by Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Ltd.

Buses operating under the cluster scheme will be parked in DTC depots,as there is a major shortage of parking space in the capital. “Space has been identified in DTC Millennium Depot,DTC Kanjhawla Depot,DTC Central Workshop-I BBM,DTC Central Workshop,Okhla and DTC Depot at Village Kair,” Goswami said.